


Demeter in Her Own Course

by farad



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 06:33:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11572380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/farad/pseuds/farad
Summary: For the Fic Promptly main post of “Pretend Relationships” (thanks, Kayim!)Avengers, Clint/Laura, maybe leading to Clint/Steve, "Pretend you're my wife and they'll understand this easier," Clint whispered as he took her in his arms on arrival at the farmhouse, before turning to introduce her to the rest of the team. (No Laura bashing, I like Laura, I just like Steve more!)"This is the first of a possible series in which Clint, Laura, and Natasha have their own arrangement, long-term family plan, and – well, universe. It loosely loosely relates to "Cosmic Variations of Slapstick" - http://archiveofourown.org/works/11571603 .All mistakes my own.  Sorry for them.





	Demeter in Her Own Course

 

He closed the door to the bedroom quietly, hoping that the fact that the only light in the room was from the night light meant Laura was asleep. He managed to get out of his boots quietly, but as he reached for the blanket at the foot of the bed, she said, “Why didn’t you tell them?”

 

 

 

Clint sighed. He’d just had this conversation with Natasha – who was more than a little annoyed to be sleeping in Lila’s room, though Lila was thrilled – and he hadn’t wanted to have it again. At least not until morning. It had been a long damned day. “A lot of reasons,” he said. He pulled the blanket off the foot of the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders, even as he dropped onto the big couch that paralleled the bed along the inner, windowless wall. It felt good to sit, but felt even better when he lifted his long legs onto the couch and stretched out.

 

 

 

“From everything you and Nat have said, they should have had no problems with our arrangement.” Laura pushed herself upright then pushed back the blankets, past her swollen belly. Without a thought, he reached the distance between them – just barely able to – and touched his finger tips to the rounded bulge.

 

 

 

“Nat was pretty pissed we hadn’t told her,” he said smiling.

 

 

 

Laura snorted. “You’ve been with her for a while now – I think that’s your fault, not mine.”

 

 

 

“Yeah, she does, too. Something else the two of you can hold over my head.” He rubbed her belly a little more before drawing his arm back, giving her room to sit up and turn around, getting her legs and feet off the bed. Her movements were slow but not as slow as they would come to be over the next few months.

 

 

 

“So why didn’t you tell them?” she asked as she got to her feet. The thick socks she wore – ones she had knitted herself – made no noise as she walked toward the small doorway that led to the en suite bathroom; it had been the first real addition to the house, made before the first pregnancy.

 

 

 

He closed his eyes, wondering if he could go to sleep – or pretend to, to at least – before she got back, so that he could put this off until in the morning. From the bathroom, he heard the sound of liquid in the toilet bowl – the first of many nightly visits. It was almost enough to lull him away -

 

 

 

“You’re still afraid he’ll figure it out.” Laura’s voice was low but clear. “I see what Nat’s been saying, though – those two are so into each other that it’s pretty amazing either one of them sees any one else.”

 

 

 

So much for sleep. He sat up, pulling the blanket away so that he could spread it out over his body, then punching up the large throw pillow at this end of the couch so that it felt right. It was new, some sort of soft felt, that Laura had made for him.

 

 

 

The toilet flushed, the faucet in the sink ran, and then Laura was making her way back into the room. She was dressed in a long flannel nightgown that came to her knees – but no longer, in case she had to move fast. Under it, she wore thick wool leggings and the socks.

 

 

 

But her leather clogs were to the side of the door, and her big coat was on the back of it, as well as a ready-bag with everything she needed. If anyone asked, it was her hospital bag.

 

 

 

Lila and Cooper had the same set up in their rooms, ready to go if they had to. Always ready.

 

 

 

“I didn’t want to bring them here at all,” he said softly. “But we agreed – Nat and I – that we didn’t have a choice.”

 

 

 

She stopped and looked down at him, then shaking her head, she turned and sat beside him, forcing him to roll onto his side. He didn’t mind though. He reached up and rubbed her back through the thick layer of flannel. “You did the right thing. We’ve talked about this contingency before. But we had also talked about what we would tell them, and what you said was not what we agreed on.”

 

 

 

“I know, I know. But I didn’t lie – not the way you two seem to think. They are my children, you know.”

 

 

 

She turned and looked down at him, shaking her head. But she was smiling. “Yes, they are. And they are mine – and they are Nat’s. Especially Nathaniel.”

 

 

 

“Yeah, especially Nathaniel.” He grinned back at her. “Gonna have to come clean if he has red hair.”

 

 

 

“Yep,” she said, punching him in the chest, “you are. And Nat and I are gonna watch you do this with glee.”

 

 

 

“Cross that bridge when – if – we come to it. For now,” he sighed and squeezed her shoulder, “for now, if something happens, at least Nat can get you guys out of here. Just like we planned.”

 

 

 

Her long hair had fallen, casting her face in shadow, but he could still she her frown. “Is it really because you don’t want them to know you prefer to sleep with men a little more than you do women? Do you think they’re that intolerant?”

 

 

 

He looked at her as he let his hand slide down her back. “No, not really – though you’re probably a little right about me not wanting to let him know. But I really don’t want all our secrets to be out there, Laura. We trust these guys now, but – what if something goes wrong? What is these people – these things – we’re up against can beat us? We have a contingency plan that’s based on the premise that no one but the three of us knows where this place is and what’s going on. Us, and Colonel Fury. Now these guys know. If one of them is compromised – well, you and the kids are no longer safe. And the kids – genes from all three of us? We’ve got back up for getting out of here, but that also only works as long as we have some other advantage – and that advantage can be as slight as them not knowing how we work – how Nat fits in to this.”

 

 

 

“Or that I have powers of my own?” She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair and he felt the thrum of her energy, the comfort and peace that was a part of her.

 

 

 

“We’ve always agreed, all three of us, that no one finds out about that,” he said.

 

 

 

She nodded, still running her fingers through his hair. “I don’t agree with Nat about one thing,” she said, and he realized she was changing the subject.

 

 

 

“Yeah?” he closed his eyes, giving into the pleasure of the domestic peace she offered.

 

 

 

“They do have eyes for each other, but it won’t last. They will come into conflict in time, and when they do – when they do, it will be a disaster for all of you. One of you needs to get out now – and truth be told, I think it should be you.”

 

 

 

A burst of fear heated his belly and he asked, as he opened his eyes, “Why? Why me?”

 

 

 

“Because that way, when it happens, you won’t be caught in the crossfire or part of the blame. And he can come to you for help. Because he will. He sees you already, Clint. In us, in what we – all of us – have here. You don’t need to be there to watch them fall apart – it will eat you alive. Nat can deal with that – she’s seen it too many times before. When this current thing is done, get out, stay here for a while.”

 

 

 

He sighed, but it was a sigh of contentment. He was pretty sure she was manipulating him – she’d been doing it for years now – but she was never wrong. Which reminded him - “You okay with this thing with Nat and Banner?”

 

 

 

Laura grinned, her teeth flashing in the shadow of her face. “Of course. She’s like you – she needs to feel the other sex every now and then. And Bruce is a sweetheart of a guy. I want him to teach our children some day, and what better way to have that happen than to get him involved now. He’s in need a friend – one with benefits, perhaps – but he is not in it for the long haul, not now. And if he is, later – well?” Her fingers left Clint’s hair and traced a long, languid line down the side of his face. “Would that bother you, if he came in with us in the future?”

 

 

 

Clint smiled at that and his eyes drifted shut again. “Well, he’s not my type – not any more than you two. But then, perhaps that’s what makes this work.”

 

 

 

He felt her shift and knew she was leaning down over him before her lips ever touched his. The kiss was brief and affectionate. “That, my love, is exactly what makes this work. We love – and we love well. But not very often do we love physically, not with each other. Now you get sleep. Tomorrow probably won’t be a lot less stressful than today.”

 

 

 

His last awareness before he feel asleep was of her puling the blanket close around him, tucking him in as she did the children.

 

 

 

His last thought was the promise of her prediction, the comfort in the idea that one day, Steve would come to him. Finally.

 


End file.
